The Key to Keeping Youth: Flexibility

Flexibility of body and mind

As we grow older, our minds and bodies become set in patterns that limit us and actually begin to cause detriment. We don’t have the abundant reserves of energy we had as children and we grow more sedentary; we must work to earn money which leads a lot of us into jobs that cause repetitive stress; the muscles and structures of our bodies weaken making good posture harder to maintain. At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we believe the best way to undo these harmful patterns is to open up our minds and bodies- to essentially embrace flexibility.

Flexibility of the mind

Openness to new ideas makes us more adaptable, less stressed out and more likely to embrace healthy choices. Keeping an open mind allows us to incorporate new ideas into our life, potentially ones that help us keep a more…

…flexible body

And why do we want our bodies to stay flexible? Here are three main reasons: 

• Injury prevention, especially from basic daily motions. 
• Better circulation and muscle tone
• Less chronic pain

By keeping our muscles pliant into old age, we can overturn the patterns which make us less agile and more prone to injury. 

A 2-minute flexibility saver routine to be done from the office chair 

To illustrate our point, try taking 2 minutes out of this hour to perform these extremely simple stretches that will release muscle tension and loosen muscle fibers, essentially undoing the effect of sitting for an hour straight

• Body twist: sit up straight and inhale. On the exhale, gently twist your body to the right, looking over your right shoulder and clasping your right knee with your left hand. Hold 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.  
• Neck turn: simply turn your neck slowly to look over your right shoulder and hold 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
• Shoulder squeeze: sit up straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold 5 seconds, release and repeat. 
• Shoulder stretch: Reach over your right shoulder with your right arm while simultaneously reaching up from below with your left hand. Clasp your hands and pull up on your left hand to create a tension that stretches the shoulders and arms and opens the chest. 

At our office in Dunedin, we focus on preserving flexibility where it matters most: in the neck, back, hamstrings, shoulders and hips- the parts of the body which account for the most motion and burden of weight. Give us a call to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Chris Hayes, D.C.